Abstract
A 39-year-old man experienced total obstruction of a distal tracheal plastic stent by a tumor mass, preventing effective ventilation and resulting in cardiac arrest. Resuscitation by emergency bedside venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) permitted time to physically remove the obstructing tumor and reestablish successful ventilation and liberation from ventilatory support. We review several other reported cases of emergency ECMO to resuscitate patients with acute airway obstruction.
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- airway obstruction
- cardiac arrest
- ECMO
- mechanical ventilation
- tracheal stent
Footnotes
- Correspondence: David C Willms MD, Department of Critical Care, Sharp Memorial Hospital, 7901 Frost Street, San Diego CA 92123. E-mail: david.willms{at}sharp.com
The authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest.
- Copyright © 2012 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.